The Great Migration Month by Month: Where the Herds Are (2026)

The Great Migration never stops. Across a single year roughly 1.5 million wildebeest, with hundreds of thousands of zebra and gazelle, move clockwise through the Serengeti–Mara ecosystem: calving on the southern plains from December to March, marching north through the central Serengeti in spring, and crossing the Mara River from August to October before turning south again.

The migration is not an event you book for a single day. It is a year-round loop driven by rain and fresh grass, and the honest way to plan it is simple: choose the region that matches your travel dates, then stay put and let the ecosystem come to you. Below is where the herds are in every month of 2026, what they are doing, and precisely where to base yourself to see it. If you are already narrowing dates, our best time to go on safari guide sets the wider calendar; to compare a migration itinerary against real operators, browse Serengeti and Mara migration trips on BookAllSafaris.

The year in one picture

The diagram below shows the herds' position across the twelve months (top band) and the geography they travel through (lower schematic), from the southern Ndutu plains up to Kenya's Maasai Mara and back. The two moments most travellers plan around — calving in February and the Mara River crossings in August and September — are marked.

Month-by-month, with where to stay

The clockwise loop is reliable in shape but never fixed to the calendar — the herds follow the rain, so treat the months below as a strong probability, not a timetable. Book camps in the right zone and give yourself room either side of the peak.

Dec–Mar: calving on the southern plains

From December the herds spread across the Ndutu and southern Serengeti short-grass plains, fattening on grass mineralised by volcanic ash from the Ngorongoro highlands. Then comes the most concentrated birth event on Earth: in a two-to-three-week window peaking in early-to-mid February, around 500,000 calves are born. A newborn wildebeest is on its feet within minutes — it has to be. The density of vulnerable prey draws the most intense predator action of the year, with lion, cheetah and hyena hunting in the open across a treeless stage. For photographers and first-time safari-goers alike, this is arguably the finest month, and it is far less crowded than the crossings.

Base yourself in a mobile tented camp at Ndutu or the southern Serengeti, positioned to move with the herds. To weigh calving against the crossings for your own trip, our best time for a Tanzania safari guide breaks the season down further, and the safari animals field guide covers what you will actually see on the plains.

Apr–Jun: the green trek north

As the plains dry, the herds form their famous columns and move north-west through the central Serengeti around Seronera, then into the western corridor. April and May bring the long rains — the landscape is emerald, the light is dramatic, vehicle numbers are low and rates fall accordingly. This is the connoisseur's season: you trade guaranteed spectacle for space, value and a Serengeti that feels genuinely wild.

By late May and June the herds reach the Grumeti River, the first serious water obstacle of the loop. Grumeti crossings are smaller and less predictable than the Mara's, but you will often have them almost to yourself. Stay in the central Serengeti or push west toward Grumeti. If you are pairing the migration with gorillas, gorge walks or a cultural day, book add-on tours and guided experiences through GetYourGuide before you fly.

Jul–Oct: the river crossings

This is the sequence everyone pictures: thousands of wildebeest massing on a bank, hesitating, then plunging into crocodile-worked water in a churn of dust, hoof and current. The first Mara River crossings begin in July as the herds move through the northern Serengeti around Kogatende. From August into September the drama peaks, spilling across the Kenyan border into the Maasai Mara. The herds shuttle back and forth across the river repeatedly — there is no single crossing — which is exactly why a multi-night stay in the right zone matters so much.

You have two bases for this act. The northern Serengeti (Kogatende) on the Tanzanian side offers the same river, fewer vehicles and the option to combine with the rest of the Serengeti. The Maasai Mara on the Kenyan side is more open, superb for big cats, and reached quickly from Nairobi. Either works; the decision is usually about which country's wider itinerary you prefer.

Nov: the southbound return

When the short rains break, usually in November, the herds turn for home, streaming south through the Loliondo and Lobo country on the eastern side of the Serengeti. It is a quiet, unhurried month with good value and thinning crowds — a fine choice if you want green landscapes and space over crossing theatre. By December they are back on the Ndutu plains and the whole loop begins again. For a specialist operator to build the return-leg itinerary, Go2Africa plans tailor-made Serengeti and Mara trips.

Tanzania or Kenya?

Both countries hold the migration — it is one ecosystem crossing one border. Tanzania's Serengeti has the herds for the majority of the year (calving, the central trek, the Grumeti, and the northern crossings at Kogatende), so it is the stronger single-country base if you want flexibility on dates. Kenya's Maasai Mara owns the crossing drama from roughly August to October and is unbeatable for big cats and easy access from Nairobi, but its migration window is shorter. Many of the best trips simply cross the border to follow the herds. Our Kenya vs Tanzania vs South Africa comparison and the which safari country is right for you guide weigh it up in full; for the wider seasonal picture see the best time for a Kenya safari.

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